Ayara Thai

ESTABLISHED IN 2004, AYARA THAI CUISINE CONTINUES THE TRADITION OF CRAFTING HOME-COOKED FOOD FOR THOSE DINING OUT

Growing up in a Thai-Chinese community in the Samsen District along the banks of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River, chef and restaurateur Andy Asapahu received his cooking and business prowess by helping his mother cook. Not only did Grandma’s (Andy’s mother) large batches of food feed her family of eight, but also those in the neighborhood, who would stop by to purchase her well-known curries. As a result of the home’s location between the palace and the river, both royal cuisine and the bustling spice trade helped to shape the home-cooked flavors so savored.

Anna, wife of Andy and self-taught chef, hails from the city of Lampang in the heart of northern Thailand and grew up in a family that primarily cooked with home and locally-grown fruits and vegetables. Since Ayara Thai’s opening day, head chef Anna remains a leader in the kitchen and continues her family tradition by using home-grown herbs in the restaurant’s dishes. Reflecting both the dishes she ate in the past, as well as her family’s values in sustainable dining, she ensures dishes inspired and prepared with only the freshest ingredients that the season has to offer.

Today, the family traditions of Andy and Anna are continued and developed into the third generation, through their daughter Vanda. Living and working in Thailand for four years has allowed Vanda to revive old family recipes, while traveling through the nation’s different regions has allowed her to discover new tastes and inspirations. After cooking with relatives and eating her way through the streets and countryside, it is these old recipes and new flavors that Vanda brings back to share at Ayara Thai.

With family recipes and cooking styles passed down through generations, the Asapahu family of Ayara Thai is pleased to offer a taste of authentic Thai food, where quality is never compromised. Using the freshest ingredients, each dish is prepared from scratch and enhanced individually by herbs and spices to ensure the boldest, most genuine flavors.